BUAD 123Management

PrinciplesRoën Janyk

Librarian

Objectives

0 How you can plan your research0 What research

resources you can use

What is Secondary Research?

“Research using information that has already been compiled and formatted. It is different from primary research, which is also known as original research . . . In research, it is important to assess the secondary information that exists before time and money is spent to conduct new research” (Secondary research, n.d.).

Research Strategy

0Define your assignment/project

0Focus your research0Develop your keywords0Identify your resources 1

Tip: planning and following a strategy saves you time and frustration

Define Your Assignment0 What do you need to do?

0 What is being asked of you? 0Look for command words: Research, analyze, discuss

0 What are the most important concepts in your assignment/project?

0 Describe the assignment in your own words0 Solidifies your understanding

Example: Fortis Inc.

Focus Your Research1. Introduction0what does this company do?0how competitive is the industry?

2. Plans0what competitive forces does the company face?

3. Controls0what control systems are in place to monitor

company performance?

4. Organizes0what is the organizational structure?

5. Leads0what leadership style is utilized by the CEO?

Develop Your Keywords0 Industry

0 power, utilities, electricity, gas, natural gas, energy, hydro

0Leadership0 leader, CEO, board of directors, management,

administration, human resources, awards

0Company name0 Fortis Inc., FortisBC, FortisOntario, Fortis Generation,

Teresan, etc.

Tip: search tools only search the words you give them; using a variety of keywords can give you more results

Combine Your Keywords

• Combine similar words (synonyms) with OR• Combine different concepts with AND

Example:(Fortis Inc) AND (power or energy or utilities or electricity or

hydro)

Identify Your ResourcesWho would collect/research/write about this topic?

• Company/market/industry researchers• Scholars• Government• Associations• Journalists

Where is this information published?

• articles• reports• books• websites, etc.

How can I access this information?• Internet• Okanagan College Library!

What’s a Database?

• Also called an index

• A searchable collection of electronic data

• Use a database to find citations and full-text

copies of articles, reports, data, and other

information

What’s a Library Catalogue?

• A type of database

• Online

• A list of all materials (books, reports, audiovisual materials,

maps etc.) in a library’s collection (not articles!)

• Used to find and locate materials

What is OCtopus?

• Library’s search engine

• Good place to start, “one-stop shopping”

• Simultaneous search for books, audio-visual

materials (DVDs, etc.), journal articles, journals,

reports, and other resources

• Enhancement, not a replacement (does not include

ALL material)

Find Resources Without the Internet!?

0Use Other People’s References0 Use bibliographies, works cited lists, references, and

citations in papers to find more related information0Type article titles into OCtopus

0Call Number Browsing0Books on shelf organized by subject area, those in

close proximity will be related

0Known Authors0 Find a good book or article? Maybe they have written

more on the topic

Evaluate Your Resources

urrency: Timeliness of the information.elevance: Importance of the information for your needs.uthority: Credibility of the source of the information.ccuracy: Reliability, truthfulness and correctness of the information.urpose: Reason the information exists.

CR

A

A

P

“Why Should I Use Library Resources When I Can Use Google?”

Google Library

Coverage Publicly accessible web

Scholarly resources including journals & ebooks as well as newspaper, magazine articles, data, and more

Access Public Restricted to use at OC; remote use for OC community

Authority ? Scholarly & vetted resources

Accuracy ? Scholarly & vetted resources

Evaluating Websites: As Easy as it Looks?

0 Bisphenol-A: http://www.bisphenol-a.org 0 Controversial chemical used to make hard, clear plastic known as

polycarbonate, which is used in many consumer products such as water and baby bottles

0 Mixed research available, chemical currently under review by Government of Canada

0 Martin Luther King Jr.: http://www.martinlutherking.org 0 “The truth about Martin Luther King: Includes historical trivia,

articles and pictures. A valuable resource for teachers and students alike.”

Research… Woo!

0Library Website0 Articles0 Catalogue0 OCtopus

0Guides by Course & Subject > BUAD 1230 OCtopus, specific to business-related research

Assignment

0 Introduction0 Background Information?0 Resource?0 Search type?

0Planning & Controlling0 Resource?0 Regulatory Controls?

0Organization & Leadership0 Anything in their industry affecting their structure?

Remember…0Research takes time0Be flexible and open to new information

and strategies0Ask for help0Help Resources: Research/Course Guides0AskAway Chat Reference0E-mail & Reference Desks

Tip: Share any resources you find with your group members. Many of the resources you find will answer questions in some or all areas of Planning, Controlling, Organization, and Leadership.

Tip:When looking for information, you may have to think beyond the question of how does X company plan, organize, lead, control. Use the research questions presented in your assignment to look for evidence of how X company plans, organizes, etc.

References

"secondary research"  In A Dictionary of Marketing. Retrieved from http://www.oxfordreference.com

1. Concept for Research Strategy adapted from University of B.C.’s David Lam Management Research Library’s Jump-Starting My Research (Undergraduate) guide http://www.library.ubc.ca/lam/Reference%20Template_Aug09_undergraduate.doc and Research Rescue’s Jump start Your Research guide http://blogs.ubc.ca/researchrescue/files/2010/03/RRJumpStart.pdf

LJ 09/10/2012

Notes